Trailer Lights Don't Work?Check Pigtail or Electrical Cord

Occasionally, you
will see a big rig rolling down the road on which the lights don't all
work. This is most discernible at night.

For example, the photo at right shows a rig that we
were following at night, which had absolutely no
lights lit up on back. Mike was able to contact the driver by CB radio
to let him know.

Interestingly enough, when the driver changed
lanes and used his turn signals, the turn signal lights on the sides
of his trailer worked but not the ones on the back. This was most
likely a problem with the electrical connection at the point where the
pigtail is plugged into the power box.

Here, the electrical cord or
pigtail that carries power from the tractor to the trailer is shown
plugged into the back side of a tractor.

Here, the electrical cord or
pigtail that carries power from the tractor to the trailer is shown
plugged into the trailer.

First of all, it is your responsibility as a
driver to
do a pre-trip
inspection on your entire commercial motor vehicle (CMV) to make sure
that all the lights -– on both the tractor and trailer -– work the way
they are supposed to.

Feel free to use our Pre-Trip
Inspection Checklist as a guide, but always make sure that
you use the one your company issues. When Mike does his inspection, he
turns on all
lights and his four-way flashers to make sure the lights all work.

If the trailer lights don't all work, he checks the
electrical cord or pigtail -- at both the tractor and trailer ends --
to make sure that it is plugged in all the way. Then he walks around
again. If there is still a problem, he will take the cord out of the
sockets and gently blow on both the cord and the sockets to dislodge
any dirt or sand that may have worked its way inside. Then he
reconnects the cord and walks around the rig again.

During the process of blowing out dirt or sand, Mike
will closely inspect the cord's end to make sure that all of the pins
are intact and the socket to make sure that there are no foreign
objects present to prevent contact (such as a pin that has broken off).
He says that he encounters a pin broken off in the receptacle every
once in a very great while.

The broken off pin may or may not affect the lights
working. If it does, he will let
his
trucking company
know about the problem and he will reject the trailer.

Another problem that can prevent the electrical
connection from working is rust on the connections or water. Between
trailers, drivers can help prevent rust from forming and water from
getting in the connection by putting the electrical cord back in its
holder on the tractor.

In the event that you have one or more trailer lights
that won't work, it is not sufficient to have your four-way flashers
running while you're rolling down the road. This is a dead giveaway
that you have problems with your rig and you are just advertising that
you're ready for a full-blown DOT inspection to find out what else
is wrong with your rig.

If you experience problems that these tips do not fix,
it is possible
that you may have a burned out light or may need a new electrical
cord/pigtail. Most larger truck
stops
sell these
truck
parts.

If you need to review them, please see the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety
Regulations that deal with

Money saving tip:
Since the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations require that all
lights work at all times, you can be cited and penalized if they do
not. It is not just a matter of convenience or avoiding a fine to make
sure that all of your lights (including your trailer lights) are
working. It is also a matter of visibility.

If you are involved in an accident and it can be
shown that your trailer lights were not working properly, you could be
found at fault and charged. This could be very expensive in numerous
ways, including the loss of your job and possibility of never working
in the industry again.

Protect yourself. Be faithful to do a full
pre-trip inspection every day and every time you change trailers.

Furthermore, if you need to clean off your tractor
or trailer lights -- especially in the winter when dirt and road salt
can build up on them -- take the time that is needed to clean them.
It's worth a few extra minutes' work to make sure that you can be seen.
It's also the professional thing to do.